Just a Silly phase I'm going through
by Desperate For Attention
Summary: Even if Groot didn't need him anymore, Rocket would always need Groot. Which scared the shit out of him, made his whole-body fight and want to crawl away. Without Groot he couldn't be himself, he needed him and despite everything Rocket thought. Groot needed Rocket just as much.


Rocket can't admit to feeling vulnerable, can't face looking weak in front of the others; looking less like a person and more like the team pet. Luckily, he doesn't have to, they get it, in their own little way they each appreciate that Rocket doesn't have the emotional stability to feel exposed and like he belongs. They can all see the effect Groots sacrifice has had; they don't mention it but Rockets has seen some of the looks the rest of them share when they think that he's not looking or not paying attention. They can all see how much Rocket hates how dependant on them all Groot is all of a sudden—how less dependent he is on Rocket. It was hard, hard to accept that they truly wanted to help, that this was free and wasn't going to cost him down the line.

Rocket had spent his entire life fighting for the right to be his own person, to be seen as more than some twisted experiment. He had never asked anyone for anything and he wasn't about to start now.

It had taken months of being pursued and pestered by Groot before Rocket just gave up, those big puppy dog eyes and dopey smiles haunting the raccoons dreams no matter how many time he growled and shot at the overgrown shrub. Many more months pasted before Rocket even realised that he'd somehow grown attached to him—not in a romanticised sense, at least that's what he told himself. They bonded over their differences, how they each stood out in a crowd and had no real identity in a system predominantly ruled by the human populace.

Rocket just needed him and until now Rocket thought that Groot needed him too.

They had always only had each other, from the moment Rocket had broken out of the base he'd had Groot towering over him and shouting his own name. Christ, it had taken Rocket years to figure out what the stupid oaf was trying to say, and he'd hated the swell of pride that filled his chest when he at last cracked the code and could finally hear what Groot was trying to say. It still did.

The hardest part had been seeing Groot so small, so compacted into that tiny plant pot for the first few weeks. Just a pair of eyes and a mouth on a stick. For as long as Rocket had known him he had always been this towering mass of branches and leaves—the tallest thing Rocket had ever seen outside of a laboratory and it had intimidated him at first. Made him feel even smaller and weaker, like a rat trying to stand tall in front of a cat.

The first-time Groot had lifted him up, Rocket almost blew a gasket. Using every weapon he had in a bid to prove himself, to make Groot see that just because he was small didn't mean that he could do whatever he liked and get away with it. Rocket had ideas of his own and he wasn't there to be carried around and displayed.

But like with having Groot around Rocket had adjusted, some base instinct inside of him wanting to be high up, to climb and nestle on Groots shoulder. He felt safe there, higher than even the humans just looking down on them, out of reach and out of sight. Rocket hadn't slept more than an hour since Groot had shrunk, couldn't get comfortable even when he climbed up onto the ships roof and lay on the supporting bars. It wasn't the same as knowing that Groot had his back.

He sniffed distastefully when he glanced up over the explosive he was working on because Groot was giggling and saying please and thank you as Gamora preened and prooned the leaf growing out of the top of his tiny head. Groots tiny fingers stroking just below her elbow as she smiled down at him and kissed the top of his head. A rare show of affection from the assassin. Rocket couldn't help but growl at her—angry that she was muscling in and trying to take over.

Rocket was in charge of taking care of Groot, if he wanted the leaf trimming he would have asked him. Not her, not someone else. That was not how this worked between them, being a part of the Guardians didn't make him their property. Not Groot and not him. He couldn't handle it. Couldn't open up and just accept their help for what it was, a thank you.

Groot had after all almost lost his life to protect them, it was only natural for them to want to thank him. To thank the both of them but Rocket was too caught up in the past. Too afraid to open himself up to more hurt and backlash. He and Groot were two very different entities at heart; where Groot wanted to help and to belong, show that he wasn't someone to be feared and loved everyone and everything he came across. Rocket was hard and brash, he didn't want people to like him; liked to keep his claws sharp and his teeth sharper and the rest of the world at a distance.

Except Groot. He wanted Groot to like him, to need him. To keep treating him like a friend and not as a reject.

He could still hear Gamora and Groot just across in the mess bay, joined now by Peter and his ridiculous little Walkman each of them laughing amongst themselves and enjoying themselves. The bomb in Rockets paw fell against the table and Rocket really hated himself on the inside for feeling so jealous and selfish over it all. Groot should have been allowed to have his own friends and do as he pleased. Who was Rocket even kidding? he had no right to expect Groot to only be with him. They were all a team now and Groot wanted to be a part of the team so desperately. Rocket, well he just wanted to be with Groot but let him know that no matter what Rocket would always have his back.

The metal rolled and Rocket missed the side-ways look Groot gave him as he pushed away from the table and left his work scattered on the tiny table Peter had laid out. He pushed through the empty corridors and into the room that Peter had given him and Groot to share—feeling all kinds of childish and angry as he beat the make shift nest laid out on the floor before falling onto it. Needing the time alone to keep from shooting someone or saying something stupid and irreversible.

Opening his eye slightly, Rocket tried to smile as Groot came in and stood over him. With those damn big eyes and a bright smile, had it been anyone else he'd had sent them away but Groot was still so small and it took Rocket by surprise when he laid down next to the racoon and snuggled up against him. A mellow "I am Groot." Whispered into his neck. Rocket didn't even try and fight because even with Groot this small and this weak he always wanted the tree to know that he loved him, that he felt safe enough to show his vulnerability to Groot.

Even if Groot didn't need him anymore, Rocket would always need Groot. Which scared the shit out of him, made his whole-body fight and want to crawl away. Without Groot he couldn't be himself, he needed him and despite everything Rocket thought. Groot needed Rocket just as much.


End file.
